The present invention relates to a seat device for a vehicle, such as a rear seat, which is disposed on a floor panel in a cabin equipped with an ingress and egress opening at a side.
Conventionally, various types of structures for such a seat device for a vehicle, which provides a seat arrangement of the rear seat disposed on the floor panel in the cabin equipped with the ingress and egress opening at the side, have been invented.
For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2000-264109 discloses a rear seat device for a vehicle, in which a center seat is disposed between a right seat and a left seat and these right and left seats are moved back to a position between a pair of wheel houses, by moving the center seat forward and then moving the right and left seats back obliquely in such a manner that the right and left seats approach to each other.
Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. 63-179248 discloses a slide seat device, in which there is provided a folding seat comprising a seat cushion and a seat back between right and left seats. Herein, these right and left seats are moved back to the position between the wheel houses, by folding the seat back on the seat cushion of the folding seat, subsequently folding the folding seat toward the right seat or the left seat, and then moving the right and left seats back obliquely in such a manner that the right and left seats approach to each other.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 7-108864 discloses a seat device for a vehicle, in which on a vehicle rear floor is provided a pair of slide rails formed symmetrically in a substantially Z shape, when viewed from above, which respectively comprise front straight portions which extend longitudinally to provide a wider distance between right and left seats, rear straight portions which extend longitudinally to provide a narrower distance between the right and left seats, and slant portions to obliquely interconnect the front and rear straight portions. Herein, the right and left seats are configured so as to be moved along these slide rails, and these seats are moved back to the rear straight portions of the slide rails, whereby these right and left seats can be located between the wheel houses.
Herein, the above-described seat devices have an advantage that it can improve comfortable sitting of the rear passenger on the seat, by moving back the right and left seats to the position between the wheel houses. It has a problem, however, that it could not provide a storage space beside the seat to allow an easy loading (easy access) from the outside of the vehicle.